Archived post

Et ça Commence

When I was a student, Jimmy Carter stole a march on fellow Democrats by beginning his New Hampshire primary campaign an unprecedented year before the February 24, 1976 vote. I assisted when he was interviewed on WDCR in September, 1975, and I called home to proudly tell everyone that Carter would be the next President. Of course, at that point nobody had ever heard of him. They would.

Now here we are in July 2014 — about a year and half before New Hampshire’s next first-in-the-nation primary — and look at what pulled up last night at the end of Frat Row (or in front of the Rockefeller Center, as you prefer). The doors opened and you could hear Tom Petty’s American Girl being played on the sound system ( ™¬Take it easy, baby ™¬Make it last all night ™¬). There was swag to be had, and pizza; the names of volunteers were eagerly recorded.

Of course, the use of “Movement” on the bus’ side could not help but bring a smile to this observer’s face. How Mme. Secretary, the former First Lady and the ultimate inside-the-Beltway candidate, can appropriate a symbol of the 1960’s counterculture for her own use defies logic. But, then, the Clintons never did know the meaning of shame.

For those of you new to the Upper Valley, primary season is great fun. An old joke goes as follows: A New Hampshire farmer was asked his opinion of a candidate, and he responded, “I haven’t made up my mind on him yet. He ain’t been in my kitchen but twice.” Have no fear: they’ll all be in Hanover over and over, starting very soon from the looks of things.

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